"Alright guys," the mustached band teacher grumbled, "choose your partners and sit down once you've decided. Remember, if you pick someone that doesn't do work, that's your own fault and you get to deal with it. Try to get started early, I know today is a Friday, but you're going to have to do it eventually, so you might as well start now."

There was a rush of movement in the classroom as everyone dashed to their friends, leaving just two people standing awkwardly after a few moments. The first of the two, Will, a lanky blonde with an easygoing demeanor, slowly sauntered over to the only other person who hadn't taken a seat, plopping down into the empty seat on the right by the window.

Will sat awkwardly next to the mysterious stranger, nervously drumming his fingers on their shared music stand. An ominous aura radiated off of the short, gloomy-looking boy, and just about anyone who approached him could clearly tell that he wanted to be left alone.

Will furrowed his brow, unsure what to do, but after a long, awkward moment of tense silence, he finally cleared his throat and spoke.

"Well, I guess we're partners, so if we're going to get anything done, we should make plans to get some work done..."

His new partner continued to sit there silently, slouched in his chair, all while not making eye contact. His messy dark curls shaded his hooded eyes, giving him a mysterious, "don't mess with me" look that, interestingly enough, piqued Will's interest.

Since the first day of high school, Will's gaze had been mysteriously drawn to the dark-haired boy ever since he spied him lurking in the corner of the auditorium during freshman year orientation.

By the end of his freshman year, Will had picked up his name: Nico di Angelo. Come sophomore year, on the first day of band class, his eyes were immediately drawn to him once more.

As per the usual, today he was still slouched over in the chair the farthest away from the front of the room. Even though it was a stretch, Will still occasionally glanced back to catch a glimpse of that hunched over form, small fingers tightly clutching his clarinet. As much as he'd like to keep watching, Will usually turned away within moments in case he was caught looking.

Had they not been the only two unpaired students in the class, Will might not have ever gotten a chance to talk to Nico. Granted, Nico once had been tight with the central popular kids clique, making him pretty much inaccessible to anyone else. But this year, Nico didn't seem like he wanted to be part of that central group, and was spotted lurking solo more and more frequently.

Enough about the past. Right now, Will was actually in the presence of Nico, and if he couldn't break the silence, he knew he'd regret it later. Will tried to think of something to say, but could only think of the project.

"Hey, Nico. It's just a music project. If you really don't want to be partners with me, I guess you could always ask for a change... But then you'd have to go through Mr. Br-ASS-ington." Will's tactical emphasis of the band teacher's name drew out an amused exhale from Nico.

Nico tilted his head slightly up so that he could look at Will through his dark, messy mop of hair. Will couldn't see Nico's eyes clearly because of the dark curtain blocking, well, both of their views, but he could feel the piercing glance of the other on him.

After a few moments, he shrugged, and the tension in his shoulders visibly decreased.

"Whatever," Nico mumbled. "I guess I can put up with you for a couple of weeks."

Nico looked back down at his black skinny jeans, trying to ignore Will. Nico didn't want anyone to disturb his peace... especially not such a nice guy. Not after the last time someone reached out to him with that amount of kindness.

But despite Nico's gloomy demeanor, Will grinned broadly at the perceived invitation, showing off his pearly white teeth. That small puff of air, the closest thing to a laugh he'd probably get, only fueled Will's desire to befriend Nico, and now he was determined to be as charming as he could be.

"C'mon!" Will cheerily exclaimed, scooting his chair closer to Nico. "It won't be that bad! I promise I won't bother you... too much."

Will's eyes fell to the sheet music on their music stand, furrowing his brows as he tried to make some sense of the dots and lines on the sheet, but he couldn't decipher a single note.

"Anyways, I'm kind of screwed if you can't help. I'm only taking Band because my dad's making me. He's really into the arts, has published a couple volumes of poetry, and manages his own band. I only agreed to this because I needed the art credit. I want to go into medicine, so all I really need to focus on right now are my STEM classes, but I can't fail this class or-"

Will realized he had been rambling, and rapidly shut his mouth, hoping to make the situation less awkward.

He scratched his head sheepishly, and asked, "Well, could we at least plan something out?" Will was clearly trying to coax Nico into saying a bit more, even if it was just making progress towards a good grade, all while hoping that they might be able to make some kind of connection to satisfy the flutters in his chest.

Nico finally tilted his head back, unintentionally shaking his hair backwards as well, before turning and making eye contact with Will, no longer blocked in by his shaggy black hair. Enraptured, Will's eyes unintentionally widened. He had never noticed how just how pretty di Angelo's eyes were before. They were a rich, dark brown, drawing you in, and soft, like a freshly brewed cup of coffee in the morning.

Nico's next words, however, morphed his gaze into a guarded one, layers of hurt beneath the surface leaking through in his expression. "Why do you even want to work with me anyways? Most people know to stay away from me. Why don't you?"

Will ran his fingers through his curly golden locks, searching for an answer. Nico's eyes momentarily flitted to the way a few strands turned to liquid gold in the scarce sunlight pouring in from one of two dirty windows, the rest illuminating the linoleum floor around Will's chair. Almost perfectly, the line of sunlight drew a boundary between him and Will, as if emphasizing the difference in their personalities.

Will sighed defeatedly, unsure how to respond to Nico's query. There really wasn't much more to say except the truth, so he replied, "Well, I just want to get to know you better, you know? Get to be friends, maybe..."

On the inside, Nico was curious. Rarely did people try to even be around him, much less talk to or befriend him. Last time that happened was a long time ago, but it wasn't a time in his life that he particularly wanted to revisit.

"Okay, fine," Nico finally muttered as he gave in to the pleading look on Will's face. "We can meet up at my house tomorrow, since it'll be Saturday, and I've got nothing better to do." He glanced up at the clock, which read 2 minutes from dismissal, and started shuffling papers into his folders, the rest of the class following suit.

Will immediately perked up and grinned, but before he could even ask one last question, Nico ripped off a strip of notebook paper, scribbled something on it, and handed it to Will.

"Here's my address. Just come over when you're ready to work, and don't forget to bring your instrument. I'll see you...maybe tomorrow?"

The bell rang, and Nico grabbed his belongings, rapidly shuffling out of the classroom. For a moment, Will just stood there, clutching Nico's address, with a fluttery feeling in his chest and a sense of excitement at the prospect of new things to come.

But the moment passed, and he shook his head as a grin crept onto his face, retrieving his belongings before slipping out into the crowded hallways.